As is generally known in the art, display devices typically include light sources of some type which are illuminated in order to provide visual indications. For example, in recent years there has been an increased use of light-emitting diodes (LED) as the desired light sources on printed circuit boards and the like since they require a relatively small amount of power to drive them. Further, these LEDs are now commercially available in a variety of colors such as red, green, yellow and the like. Many times two LEDs of different colors are mounted in a close side-by-side arrangement on a printed circuit board so as to produce visual indication of certain existing conditions. For instance, a red colored LED may be illuminated to indicate an OFF condition and a green LED may be alternatively illuminated so as to indicate an ON condition.
In order to increase the visibility of the LED light source during its illumination, there can be provided a separate diffusing lens in association with the individual LED light source. However, there is encountered a drawback when two such LED light sources and their associated diffusing lenses are mounted closely together on a printed circuit board. This is because when one of the LED light sources is illuminated so as to pass light through its associated diffusing lens some of this light is also transmitted to the other non-illuminated LED light source and its associated diffusing lens. As a result, the non-illuminated LED light source will also appear to be lit and thus undistinguishable from or confusing with respect to the illuminated LED light source.
Consequently, there has arisen a need for a light-shielding means disposed between a pair of LEDs mounted on a printed circuit board for blocking or preventing the light from being transmitted from the illuminated LED and its associated lens to the non-illuminated LED and its associated lens. It will be expedient to provide the lens with a retention structure so as to securely fix the lens relative to the LED light source.